Buttons
by Mie779
Summary: My take on their wedding night, but starts of with a flashback setting the mood of the story... and let's just say that Maria has an itch to open up a few buttons ;)
1. Chapter 1

**Notes: **Don't own anything... etc.

I have spend the past couple of months reading through pretty much every SOM story there is, (rated K+ and up). Just got hooked, don't know why :P Well I know that there are quit a few other takes on this special night for Maria and George, but my mind just dreamed up this little piece. Hope you like it... can't promise when the second part will come up... I have two small girls and family who takes up some of my time... hope it won't be more than a couple of weeks ;)

BIG time thanks to Bellarsam Chrisjulittle for beta reading for me... English is not my first language (I'm danish;) so there had been quite a few errors on grammar and spelling ;) Thanks... :)

Happy reading.

**"Buttons"**

With slightly shaking hands Maria removed the veil from her golden hair, and put it on the dressing table in front of her. She was trying to breathe calmly as she removed the beautiful, and quite modest, wedding gown she had been wearing. Oh yes, she had indeed been married today; as of today, she was none other than Baroness Von Trapp. This was still something that her brain had not yet fully comprehended. All she knew was that her husband were waiting for her in the bedroom next door, and that thought scared her quit a bit to say the least. Husband and wife…that was what they where now, but still only by name, not yet in the physical aspect of the words. She might be young and naïve, but she did know some aspects of what was to be expected of her this night. There were books, of course, which had been snuck down from the library shelves and read in a secluded corner – where _no one_ would ever see her reading books like that. These books had not been very useful to calm her ever-growing nerves. The whole act seemed cold, mechanical and quit painful…at least for the woman.

How could it possibly be like that, when every time she and Georg had had a few moments alone in the gazebo, she always ended up with this fuzzy, warm and burning heat in the pit of her stomach? Oh, how she hoped that the books were wrong!

While she gently hung up the wedding gown, she thought back to one particular evening, when she and Georg had taken a walk around the garden…

_They had walked around the gardens and ended up at the gazebo, and now they were standing close together. Maria rested her head on his shoulder and had her arms wrapped around his waist. His hands were gently stroking her shoulder and neck. Maria looked up at her fiancé – she was still trying to get used to calling him that. Her fiancé! She liked the sound of that, but it still brought forth a bit of worrying about how the whole upper-class community was taking the grand news of the Baron von Trapp marrying his young governess. They had already heard rumours and gossip about the whole affair. Georg would always shrug his shoulders when they heard new gossip from Max, who had picked it up around town. He did not give a damn about what people thought about his and Maria's engagement. All he cared about was that she loved him and he loved her; that was all that mattered. In the process, he had found out who his real friends were in the upper-class society._

_"It's a beautiful night, isn't it?" Maria said and smiled. Then she lifted herself up on her toes and gave him a light kiss on the cheek. It had taken her a long time before she took the initiative to even give him the lightest of kisses. But Georg had kept reminding her that it takes two people to make a kiss wonderful. And slowly, she had become more and more forthcoming, but only when they were alone._

_"Hmmm, it sure is," Georg said, and kept looking intensely down at her beautiful face. The moon had just risen and the light gave her face a soft glow. He could see the slightest hint of a blush on her cheeks. But that was almost always present, especially when they were alone. It was just one of those things he adored about her. In the days after they had gotten engaged, she'd practically had a permanent blush wherever she went or if he looked at her._

_Maria saw the fire in his dark blue eyes and suddenly felt a little light-headed. She slid her arms up around his neck, lightly pulling him down towards her. Georg complied and bent his head, taking her head gently in his hands and kissed her. He had seen the silent plea in her eyes, her need to be close to him._

_The kiss was warm and gentle at first, their lips doing their own slow dance of love. Maria threaded her fingers through his hair, pulling him closer. This sparked something inside of Georg and he intensified the kiss, opening his mouth slightly. Maria inhaled sharply at the new intensity in their kiss, but she eagerly opened her mouth to his, welcoming his searching tongue._

_On many occasions during their evenings alone, they would end up just like this, passionately kissing each other until they were both breathless._

_Maria felt her whole body ignite with new burning sensations; a fire in the pit of her stomach spread its warmth all the way to the tips of her toes. She was so lost in the passion of the kiss that she hardly noticed what her own body was doing. Her fingers were nimbly moving around his nape and under his ears. Nothing out of the ordinary in these touches. Georg had admitted to her once that he had a rather "hot spot" just below his ears. When she had first heard this, Maria had blushed profoundly and hardly knew what to say, but nevertheless she had stored that information away until their next rendezvous at the gazebo. She was eager to know everything about her fiancé, and that including everything that he liked. Even though she would always stammer and blush whenever they spoke about intimate things like this, she also wanted to show Georg her love for him._

_Without thinking, her fingers found their way around his collar and lightly caressed his neck. On this night, Georg had decided to throw a bit of his uptight attire to the winds: he wore no tie and had the two topmost buttons undone. Her delicate fingers found the open V in his shirt; his skin was hot against her fingertips. They moved slightly under the fabric, inching up towards his collarbone._

_Georg had moved his hands down to her waist, gently drawing tantalizing circles on her sides and back. When he felt her delicate fingers move under his shirt, his heart beat at triple the rate, and his blood rushed in his ears. Suddenly, he felt her fingers glide down toward the first closed button, and then she fumbled a bit with it as if she wanted to open it. His hands gripped the fabric of her dress, and he made a hissing noise. If only she knew what an insane effect her actions had on him, but he knew that her experience on this matter was small, to say the least._

_Her fingers made his skin burn, the fire moving all over his body, both on the outside and inside. The passion running through him caused him to intensify the kiss, letting his hand roam up and down her back, bringing her even closer to him. The intensity of the kiss and her searching fingers did nothing to cool down the ever growing state of arousal he was finding himself in._

_Suddenly, he felt that her fingers had successfully opened the button, giving her access to even more of his warm skin. Feeling her fingers move on his skin made his insides boil over with such intensity that he forgot everything about propriety and let every emotion come out. His hands moved downwards and ended on her lower back. While still kissing her with so much passion, he pulled her lower body flush against his now very prominent arousal, all the while making an unearthly growl in the back of his throat._

_When Maria heard him growl, and felt his arousal poking her stomach, something made her freeze up. She broke the kiss and, with a horrified expression, she look to where her hands were located. In a state of shock she tried to back away, but his arms were still holding her ever so close to his body. Shaking her head, she pushed with her hands on his chest, trying to make him let her go. It took a couple of seconds before George realized what she was trying to do. He let his hands drop to his sides, his fingers shaking slightly._

_"I'm sorry… I don't… I didn't… I…oh, dear God, what have I done… it wasn't… I mean… I…" Maria rambled, shaking her head and placing her hands on her now flaming-hot cheeks. She felt so horrid about what she had done that she couldn't even make herself look into his eyes. What must he be thinking of her now, losing control like that? It was not like she had any experience in these matters, but she did know that she had crossed a line that was not proper in _any_way._

_She was so flushed that she didn't knew where she would look, and it didn't help to focus on the knot of his tie as she usually did when she was in a bit of an embarrassing situation, as he was not wearing one at the moment. Neither could she focus on the topmost button; this only reminded her of where her fingers had just recently been._

_"Maria! It's all right…I…" Georg tried to still her rambling, but she just kept mumbling a long line of "I'm sorry". Then she slowly backed away from him, still holding her hands to her shaking head. The expression in her eyes told a whole tale of complete horror and disbelief in what she had done._

_Georg knew that he had to think fast before she would turn around and run away from him; he could see the growing panic in her eyes._

_"Maria! Please _stop_!" Georg raised his voice slightly, trying to get her to be quiet._

_The urgent plea in his outburst must have reached something in Maria; she stilled her rambling and, with dread in her eyes, she dared to look into his eyes. What must he be thinking of her now, throwing every propriety and self-control to the winds? They would be married in a couple of weeks, and then, and_only_then would it be alright to go beyond this line of intimacy. Her cheeks turned an even deeper crimson red when her thoughts wandered even further than just unbuttoning his shirt._

_She scolded herself for even letting her mind wander down that path, and lowered her gaze to the top of his chest. When her mind began to wonder what was hidden under the next button, she quickly moved her eyes down, looking straight down at his shoes; that would be the safest place to look at a time like this._

_"I'm so sorry… I just didn't… I…" Maria started to mumble again._

_"Shh, please stop, you shouldn't apologize for something like this. You have done nothing wrong, nothing at all." Georg tried to calm her down, and reached for her hands. She felt the warmth from his hands, and her deceiving body and mind began to work against her attempt to focus on something other than wishing to open yet another button of his shirt. Georg felt her hands shake a little and saw the turmoil in her eyes. In a way, he could see why she would be upset with herself by doing something like this, but deep down he was also thrilled by the fact that she obviously had some hidden desire to explore more of their intimate relationship. She might not be ready to admit to this at the moment, but even so, he couldn't help smiling down at her. At that moment, she chose to look up at him._

_"Oh, Georg, please don't laugh at me… I really didn't know what or why I tried to… well you know." Maria nodded her head down at his still open shirt, her mind playing games with her again. Just one more button, wondering what lay beneath the offending fabric of his shirt. The second these thoughts entered her mind, her face became an even darker shade of red (if that were possible). Then she focused on his shoes again. Much safer._

_Georg saw all of these emotions run through her eyes, and became serious again. "Darling, I'm not laughing at you, only smiling. Because I can't help but feel like the luckiest man alive, having you in my arms, clearly loving me so much that you can't wait to learn more about me." He lifted her head with one of his fingers, trying to make her understand. But she still looked somewhat horrified by what she had done._

_"Oh Georg, I_do_love you and I love spending alone time with you. But everything is still so new for me, and I have no clue whatsoever about how to do things the right way." Maria shook her head, and tried to look down again, but Georg would have none of that._

_"There is no right or wrong way to do things, even though going where you just did might be best kept waiting for our wedding night in two weeks time." George smiled again, hoping that she wouldn't misunderstand him. He didn't think it was even possible, but he saw her cheeks going the deepest red they had ever been._

_"I'm sorry, I had no intensions of doing that, it just…happened, I suppose." Maria gave him a half smile; seeing him so relaxed about it made her ease up slightly._

_"I know, darling, but that doesn't mean that I didn't like your actions. You have no idea what you do to my state of mind, do you? When I kiss you, I too lose all sense of the world around me." George leaned in and gave her the gentlest kiss of all. Maria loosened up and leaned in for another kiss, sliding her hands up his arms. They stayed like this for a few moments both, thankful that they had found love._

_After a some time they broke apart, both smiling, Maria still blushing a little at her actions. The blush intensified just at bit when Georg, with a wink, closed the open buttons. Then they walked back to the house, both looking forward to the coming wedding in two weeks._

"Maria? Are you all right, darling?" The knock on the door was light and a little hesitant.

To be continued...

**Please review... thanks**


	2. Chapter 2

**NOTES: First of I owe you all a small apology for posting so late, it has been almost a month... but several things came around: 1. got hooked on an epic long fan fic called "Amor vincit omnia", this took some of my evening time that I have to write in, 2. got a small writers block, trying to figure out how to end the story in the right way, 3. I'm just a slow writer in English... sorry, it just takes me forever to write a few segments of the story...**

**When all that is said, I must say that I'm looking forward to hear what you think of this second (and final) part of my take on their wedding night. And I give a HUGE thanks to my beta: Bellarsam Chrisjulittle. Who have made this part work and removed all the grammar errors that comes when I try to write in English ;)**

**FINAL NOTE: a slight WARNING to readers, there will be some parts in the end that might be of a more M rating, but as this being a WEDDING night story, I guess you already expected that there will be some sort of sex in the end, it is after all what a wedding night contains ;) ... but now you can't say that I didn't warn you ;) But hope you'll read on anyway...**

**Happy reading:**

"Maria? Are you all right, darling?" The knock on the door was light and a little hesitant.

Maria jumped a bit at the sound. She had been so lost in the memory that she had lost track of the time. "Uhm, yes…yes, I'm fine. I'll be out in a minute." Her voice was uneven and shaking.

She looked at herself in the mirror. Her cheeks were flaming red, and stood out in contrast to the ivory color of the nightgown she had put on. Standing up, she took one last look at her attire. The gown fell below her knees, and had high-cut sleeves. The neckline dropped down to show her chest and a little cleavage, but nothing too much – at least, that had been what the saleswoman had said when she bought it.

Her legs feeling as weak as a newborn colt's, she walked out of the bathroom, out to her waiting husband. She felt her every nerve flame with anticipation of what lay ahead of her.

When she walked into their bedroom, she saw Georg standing by the window, silently looking out. One hand held the window frame, and the other hung loosely at his side, his fingers tapping slightly against his thigh in a restless motion. This was a gesture that Maria had come to know as a sign of Georg being slightly impatient with something.

He still had on his wedding shirt and pants. He had taken off his military jacket, and, for some odd reason, Maria noticed that he had also taken off his shoes. She thought it to be a bit peculiar that he had not gotten into some nightclothes, like pajamas or something of that sort.

When they had first entered the bedroom, after leaving the wedding reception, she had been a bundle of nerves. Only by sheer will had Maria told him that she wanted to get ready for bed in the bathroom. Only for a split second had he looked a bit let-down by her statement, but then he saw her nervous and pleading eyes. Then he had hugged her, and given her a gentle kiss. He told her that he, too, would get ready for bed.

And now here he stood with no sign of him being ready for bed; the more she thought about it, the more confused she became. Taking a deep breath of air, she walked over to him. "Hello."

Maria's voice was timid and low, and she tried to appear calm. But when his eyes fell on her and he gave that half-smile of his – the one that always made her stomach do flip-flops – she felt her whole body shake with nerves and anticipation. She clasped her hands in front of her, trying to make her hands be still.

"Hello." He took a step forward, and took hold of her still-shaking hands. He kissed her knuckles gently, as if he was trying to calm her shaking body. Her eyes were desperately trying to find something to focus on, but when they looked at the spot where his tie would be – her usual "safe spot" – it took her only a second to realize that he had taken off his tie, and had two buttons undone. Her face became red in an instant, and she averted her eyes to a much safer location: his shoes. Then she remembered that he wore no shoes, and – lo and behold! – no socks, either.

Her already crumpling state of mind made her cheeks flush even more. Sighing, she decided to just close her eyes. This, she decided, was much better; no distractions of any kind. Only the sensation of him stepping closer to her, holding her close to his body, and giving her kisses on her forehead and cheeks.

"Maria, darling, please look at me." Georg had seen her eyes move nervously, as if she tried to find a secure focus point. Inside his head he chuckled slightly, knowing that she had this habit of focusing on his tie whenever she felt flustered by something. But given the fact that he deliberately had taken off that piece of clothing, he could very well imagine why she had eventually just chosen to close her eyes. He, too, had not forgotten their evening rendezvous at the gazebo, when she had lost a tiny bit of self-control, and her searching fingers had done some amazing things to his body and mind.

But he also knew that his new wife was very much inexperienced in the intimate aspect of marriage, and therefore, he had also promised himself, and her, that he wouldn't rush her into things.

Maria took a deep breath, her nerves still on high-alert, and opened her eyes, looking up at his handsome face. The smile that played around his lips did nothing to soothe her nervousness. Why did she have to feel so light-headed whenever he just looked or smiled at her? She shook her head, trying to clear her mind, but to no avail. Her heart was still beating much too fast.

"Shh, it's all right." Georg tried to calm her down, pulling her into his arms, hugging her close. "Nothing is going to happen tonight that you are not ready for, or don't feel comfortable with. Please tell me what's on your mind. I don't want you to hide anything from me." His voice was soft and calming as his hand gently caressed her hair.

Maria felt a bit more at ease by his words and touch, but one question still lingered in the back of her mind. Her outspoken nature kicked in, and she blurted out, "Why haven't you put on your pajamas or something? I thought you were getting ready for bed." She searched his eyes and face for an answer. What he said next took her by surprise quite a bit.

"Oh, my darling, is that what you had been worrying about in that pretty little head of yours?" Georg chuckled and gently tapped her cute little nose. When he saw her cheeks going even more red, he continued: "Well, my dear, I was just thinking that you could help me with these buttons of mine…" He nodded his head down to his shirt.

"Oh, Georg, I had hoped you had forgotten about that night…" said poor Maria, with a mortified voice and expression, her face becoming an even deeper shade of red. She closed her eyes once more and placed her hands on her flaming face. There had not been one night, since that evening, where she had not thought about what had happened between them. The memory alone had not been very helpful to calm her ever-growing nervousness over what was sure to happen on this: their wedding night.

Georg had a sinking feeling that his decision to leave on his shirt might not have been the very best one. It appeared to have thrown his wife a bit off-balance; he had not realized just how intense that night two weeks ago had been for her. He took her in his arms, hugging her close, his hands running soothingly over her shoulders and back. She relaxed a bit in his arms, but he still felt some rigidness in her muscles.

"Oh, Maria, I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't mean it like that, I only…well, I…I'm sorry…oh, please don't be angry…It's just…I…" Georg had never been at such a loss for words; he had no idea how he could make her understand why he had kept his shirt on. He let one hand slide up to her neck, and gently let his fingers move through the short hairs on her nape. Then he gently placed his hand just below her ear, and stroked his thumb soothingly on her cheek. Willing her to look at him again, he placed a tender kiss on the top of her head, hoping that she could feel his love for her.

When she didn't move, he tried to explain once again, hoping that he would say the right words: "My darling Maria, I love you. I love everything about you, even the things you might think are not worth loving, but I love you. You have no idea what you do to me, every time that we are together, every time we kiss, hold hands or just talk. What happened that night just showed me that, even though you might not have any experience, you still have some hidden desire to be close to me. And that makes me very happy." He kept placing small kisses on her head, hoping that he had reached something in her heart.

Deep down, Maria understood what he said, and knew that her insecurity and inexperience was holding her back in really being at ease whenever they were alone. Realizing that she was working herself towards a nervous breakdown on her own wedding night caused her to scold herself for her own lack of confidence in these matters. His words had indeed reached something in Maria's heart, and she internally shook her head at her own stupidity.

Then she felt joy spread through her whole body. She almost started laughing at the whole thing, but she decided to just go with it, and raised her head to look at her husband. He looked a bit worried at that moment, and she knew she had to do something to convince him that she did understand why he had kept his shirt on. It really was a silly question she had asked. Even if he had put on pajamas, there would still have been buttons to undo, wouldn't there? Her cheeks turned slightly pink at the thought.

Georg let out a breath of air he didn't even know he was holding in when he saw her beautiful eyes looking up at him. What he saw in those sparkling eyes was nothing but pure love, understanding, and something more deep and profound than he had ever hoped for in that moment. He felt her body relax against his, and watched as her hands slid up his chest. When she reached the open V of his shirt, she moved her fingers just slightly under the fabric. Then she let her hands travel up to his nape, lowering his head down. Standing on tip-toe, she kissed her husband.

Georg could have sworn that his heart skipped a beat at this very moment – her actions told him that she indeed understood why he had kept his shirt on.

The kiss was gentle at first. They moved in unison, his hands roaming her back, pulling her even closer, while her hands were doing tantalizing things to his state of mind. He intensified the kiss when he felt her searching fingers move down the front of his shirt, finding their way under the fabric.

"Good God, Maria," he breathed against her lips. "You have no idea what you do to me, darling. I love you. I love you." He now let his tongue slide gently over her parted lips, seeking permission to enter her mouth. When he felt her tongue meet his, he groaned deeply, giving his whole soul into the kiss.

Maria had no idea where she had found this new confidence, but reading the signs from her husband's groans and gentle hands moving more and more intensely up and down her back, she knew that she had to be doing something right.

Letting her last guard down, Maria moved her fingers down to the first button, fumbling a bit trying to open it. It took her a few seconds, as it was not that easy to do this while being kissed at the same time, in such a way that made her whole world spin around, her legs shaky, her mind go blank, and her heart beat wildly.

When Georg felt her fingers on the closed buttons, he willed his brain and body to take a calming breath and lightened the kiss just a bit. Her hands and fingers were doing amazing thing to his mind and body, and he relished in the feelings she created within him. He once again felt like the luckiest man alive, having a wonderful and, by all means, also an adventurous wife. He could have sworn that he felt her smile under his lips as she opened up yet another button. Oh, if she only knew what her actions did to him…He felt his lower anatomy react very strongly when her fingers had opened the last button, and then felt her hands sliding up and under his shirt.

Maria marveled at how hot his skin felt when her hands ran over his chest. She let her fingers play with the dark hair that was spread over his torso. Unbeknownst to herself, she let her fingers glide over his nipples. This caused him to breathe in sharply, and his whole body trembled.

When she felt his body shake and heard the hissing noise he made, she froze instantly. "Oh, I'm sorry! Am I hurting you?" She removed her hands and looked up at him, worry written in her eyes.

"Oh, God, no," breathed Georg, caught between the desire to laugh and the desire to kiss her again. "Not by a long shot. My God, Maria, you make me feel things that I had forgotten how to feel. You make me complete in every sense of the word. You…I…I love you, and you are not hurting me. What you are doing feels wonderful, my love."

He tried to express everything he felt at that moment, and, at the same time, also reassure her that she had done nothing wrong. Her inexperience just showed its face once more: her total lack of knowledge about what to expect on this night. He could feel the weight of the responsibility that lay on his shoulders, to help her through this night without scaring her in any way.

"Oh…well…hmm…all right…" muttered Maria, looking at his bare, muscled, hairy chest for the first time, which caused her heart to purr as it never had before. "Oh, Georg, I have not the slightest clue about what to do here, do I?" She felt her voice shaking, leaving her mind at a total loss. How would she even know what to do? She bowed her head, resting it against his now bare chest, feeling his hot skin against her forehead. This just caused her mind to spin even faster, and her breath to quicken just slightly. She hid her face in her hands, feeling totally lost at the moment.

"Well, so far you have been doing a splendid job of making me lose my mind and common sense all together, just by being so close to me," Georg tried to reassure her. "It doesn't help either that your hands are doing some wonderful things to my senses and body, by merely undoing some buttons for me." His voice was filled with hope of her not backing away from him, of not being scared of being close to him. His hands soothingly ran up and down her back.

"I am?" Her innocent question once again told him so much about just how inexperienced she was. "So…it was…all right…what I just did?" Maria looked up at him with eyes that held so many unanswered questions.

"Oh, yes, darling, it was more than all right." Georg took one of her hands, placing the fingers deliberately right over his left nipple. "This, my love, is just another one of my 'hot spots,' and you did nothing wrong in touching me there. Or any other place, for that matter. As of this night, you are free to touch me anywhere you like, but only if you feel all right about it. As I said before, Maria: I will never force you into doing anything you are not ready for."

The mere mentioning of 'hot spots' and touching places on his body made Maria's ears and cheeks flame up in an adorable shade of rose. Georg couldn't help chuckling a little when he saw this. Oh, he really hoped that he would make her more at ease when they were alone. Underneath her inexperience, he saw a very passionate woman waiting to bloom out of her shell.

Maria felt her insides twisting and turning with emotions and feelings that she didn't even know existed. She had no idea that being with the man she loved could bring forth so many wonderful feelings. The heat in the pit of her stomach coiled into a huge ball of fire, a fire that only intensified when her focus returned to where her hand still was located. Georg still held her hand close to his chest, his thumb gently stroking her fingers. This tiny, innocent touch moved her deep down in her heart, and from that region she felt a new confidence arise. A confidence to show him just how much she really loved him.

With a small, mysterious smile on her lips, she let her free hand glide up his upper body, secretly admiring how well toned his torso was. Even though it had been years since he had been in the navy, he seemed to be keeping himself in very good shape. For a moment, she wondered just how he accomplished this; she would have to ask him about this in the near future. But, for now, she was a woman with a mission, a mission to express to her husband just how much he meant to her and how much she trusted him.

Unknowingly, Georg held his breath, while he felt her nimble fingers move up his body. When they reached his neck, she rose on tip-toes again and kissed him gently on the chin. Her lips were soft and gentle, moving ever so close to his waiting lips. He tried to hold back, letting her set the pace of how fast they would move on from here. Somewhere deep in his heart, he had a feeling that she had found some sort of new confidence to move forward in their intimate relationship. All the more reason to let her set the pace of what should happen next. Then he felt her move her tantalizing lips even closer to his lips. Suddenly, he felt her dart out her tongue just mere millimeters from his mouth.

At this, his last resolve crumbled to pieces and, with a low growl, he moved in to kiss her with a new, burning passion that had only been waiting to be unleashed. His hands moved up and cupped her face, holding her close to him. The kiss got more and more intense; both of them moved on instinct. For Georg, it was also based on experience, but for Maria it was more passionate than she had ever been kissed before. This made her head spin much too fast and her heart beat wildly. The only sound she heard was the wild drumming of her heart, and their heavy breathing.

Maria moved her hands to his shoulders, moving his shirt down his arms ever so slowly. Georg knew what she wanted and let his hands fall to his sides. Their kiss ended, and Maria focused on sliding his shirt down his arms. But they reached a bit of a snag then: both had forgotten that he wore a formal dress shirt, complete with cufflinks, thus making it quite impossible to remove his shirt. When they realized this, they both started to giggle, a giggle that ended in a fit of laughter. Maria collapsed in his arms, her giggles making her whole body shake. Georg tried to hold onto her, but his arms were locked in his shirt. So he could only place his hands on her hips, which made him laugh out loud. In his mind, he saw the picture of them at this very moment, just how funny the situation was.

"Well," he said, when his laughter had calmed down, "it seems that we're in a bit of a problem here, my darling. Care to help me out of these?" Georg moved his trapped arms as far as he could. Maria was still laughing, but nodded her head, taking his hand in hers. She gently turned his arm so she could figure out just how to open these cufflinks. It took her a few seconds to figure it out, and then it took only a few more moments before she had both cufflinks removed. After setting those aside, she pulled off his shirt. It landed on the floor, and then her full attention was back on her husband, now standing before her in only his formal dress trousers.

Her eyes took in the picture before her, all the way from his sparkling eyes, to his mouth, down his broad shoulders, hair-covered chest, his well-fit abdomen with a slight sprinkle of dark hair leading downward into his pants. Her over-sensitive mind was playing tricks with her sanity when she thought of what lay hidden down that path.

"Now…uhm…well, I…you…there you go, now you're a free man again," Maria stammered, trying to hide her traitorous trail of thoughts. But she could already feel her face heat up once again, and she just knew that he knew where her thoughts had just been seconds before. She saw the tiniest glint in his eyes as he gave her his mind-melting half-smile that always made her speechless.

Georg gently caressed her face with his finger as he spoke. "Oh, yes. A very free man. A man that is very much in love with his wife, and wants nothing more than to show her just how much she means to him." With this statement, he took her in his arms, kissing her passionately. Maria was very much aware of the fact that he was now shirtless; the heat of his skin burned through her thin nightgown, making her skin tingle with anticipation.

Maria felt his hand move up and down her back, then moving up her arms, gently caressing her shoulders just under the fabric of her nightgown. Then, light as a feather, he let his fingers slide up to her neck, moving downwards to the neckline of the gown. The sensation this gentle touch was giving her made her mind go numb. Never had she expected to feel these feelings merely from the touch of his fingers. He hadn't even touched her in any intimate places yet! The thought of this made her breath hitch in her throat.

Georg felt her shudder under his touch when he reached for the top button of her gown. He reluctantly broke the kiss to look into her eyes, asking for permission to proceed. Maria saw the question in his eyes, and felt his searching fingers at the top of her nightgown. Her mind processed what was about to happen, and she felt heat float from the pit of her stomach filling her with new confidence. Slowly, she nodded her head in confirmation that it was alright with her for him to proceed. One of his hands slipped up and held her head gently, giving her light kisses all over her face; the other hand tried to work out how to open the tiny buttons. When he had no such success, he let go of her face with a frustrated groan and looked to the offending button.

"How on earth do you women work with buttons this small?" His frustration was evident in every word he spoke, and Maria had to suppress a giggle that threatened to escape her mouth. He must have heard some sound from her, because he raised his head, looking into her eyes with a tiny bit of annoyance written in them. But when he saw the mirth in her sparkling eyes, he couldn't help but chuckle himself. He, a former sea captain, who had fought in real-life battles at sea, seemed to have no expertise in undoing tiny buttons on a woman's nightgown.

Maria was on the brink of breaking down in laughter altogether, but managed to move her hands up, undoing the top-most button. "See? Not so difficult, is it?" Her eyes shone brightly at him, and even more confidence grew inside her.

"Well, my darling, as it seems you're the button expert in this marriage, you might as well undo the rest of them," Georg stated. He was not sure if he had ever seen her face go flaming red in a matter of milliseconds, as it did when his words registered in her mind.

"Uhmm, I…well…I…you…I…" Maria stuttered and looked down at his feet. She felt the heat rising even more in her cheeks when she had seen the glimmer of hope in his eyes. After a few moments where she tried to regain her composure, she looked back up at him. What she saw in his eyes was nothing more than complete love and reassurance of him being there for her, every step of the way.

Maria took a deep breath, trying to make herself more calm. Then, with trembling fingers, she unbuttoned her nightgown. She kept her eyes on her task at hand, not daring to look at Georg at this moment. When she was done, she dropped her hands to her sides, not knowing where to go from here. She timidly raised her head and looked at Georg, her eyes filled with questions.

Georg had almost held his breath while she had been opening her nightgown, his eyes focused on her delicate fingers working on the small buttons. Now her nightgown hung loosely on her shoulders, and was open halfway down to her abdomen, her breasts now barely covered.

He swallowed the lump in his throat, then moved up to her, gently holding onto her shoulders, caressing her neck with his thumbs. Then he moved his head down and caught her lips in a gentle but passionate kiss. Maria moved her hands up to his sides, moving them in small circles, feeling his hot skin against her hands.

After a few moments of kissing her, Georg pulled away ever so slightly, and caught her eyes. Then he moved his hands to the hem of her nightgown, silently asking for permission to remove it. Maria read the question in his eyes and nodded slowly. Her whole body tingled with new and wonderful sensations when she felt his warm hands move the fabric down her shoulders, revealing her body to him. When she felt the nightgown fall around her ankles, she instantly moved her arms up to cover her chest.

"Don't…" Georg said gently. He had seen the insecurity come back in her eyes when the nightgown had fallen to the floor. He took her hands in his and said, with as much confirmation as he could: "Please don't hide what God has given you. You are very beautiful, my darling. I am still in awe of the fact that God has blessed me with such a beautiful wife, in every way possible. I see in your eyes that you don't believe me right now, but I do hope that by the end of this night, your view of yourself will have changed." Then he gently cupped her face in his hands, giving her a tender kiss, savoring the sweet taste of her lips.

Maria forgot everything else around her and only focused on the kiss. She moved a little closer to him, sliding her hands up his arms. When the kiss deepened, she threw away any last anxiety, and gave herself completely into the kiss. Georg instantly felt her change of mood, and drew her close to his body. Maria was lost in the new and wonderful feelings that ran through her body when she felt his bare torso against her own.

Georg found it quite difficult to control himself when he felt her hands move up his arms and shoulders, then down his upper body. He wasn't sure if she did it consciously or not, but his whole body ignited with a new fire when her delicate fingers found their way down to his nipples. A deep growl escaped his mouth, still kissing her lips, and he pulled the lower part of her body close to his arousal. At this, Maria gasped and broke the kiss, her hands now clutching his upper arms, as if she was afraid to fall. She knew, of course, what it was, but feeling it flush against her stomach was another matter, even if his pants were concealing it. Heat rose to her cheeks for the 100th time this night, and leaned her head on his shoulder, trying to find some support.

"Maria, are you all right?" Georg could feel her uneasiness and tried to calm her down by sliding his hands soothingly over her neck and bare shoulders.

Without thinking, Maria shook her head as it still rested on his shoulder. She was a bit hesitant about looking at him right now. But seconds later, she tried to regain some composure, and whispered, "Hmm, I'm all right, I think…I…oh, I'm sorry, I just don't really know what to say or feel right now…"

"It's all right, darling," he whispered in her ear. "We'll move a bit slower now, all right?" He planted small kisses on her hair. He felt her head nod in consent as her body relaxed a bit. Still caressing her bare back and shoulders, Georg started thinking about the best way to get her to be more relaxed. His eyes fell on the bed, and thought that she might be able to relax if they just lay under the covers.

"Come." Georg stood back and took her hands in his. He pointed to the bed when he saw the confusion written in her eye. Her cheeks turned a little bit pink when her eyes saw where he wanted them to go. But she composed herself and gave him a small smile in gratitude.

Georg turned the covers down and motioned for Maria to lay down. Still being very much aware of the fact that she wore only her underpants, she shyly climbed onto the large, four-poster bed, immediately pulling the covers over her body as she lay down. Her focus returned to her husband, who was now undoing his pants and taking them off. Maria averted her eyes momentarily, but her curious side got the better of her and she kept her eyes on Georg, who by now was sitting on the bed, bending down to pull off his pants.

Maria admired how his back muscles rippled on his back as he moved around. On an impulse, she reached out and traced a pattern down the left side of his back. Georg jumped slightly at her touch. He had not expected her to reach for him while he was getting rid of his pants. He had decided to keep his underwear on for the moment, considering her reaction when she had felt his arousal.

Georg turned around and got into the bed as well. He lay down next to Maria, who automatically moved into his arms. She rested her head in the crook of his shoulder, wrapping one arm around his torso. Georg hugged her gently to his body, one of his hands running in lazy circles on her back and shoulders. He willed his body to calm down for the moment, not wanting to rush her into anything that she wasn't ready for.

Maria relished in the wonderful feelings his hand evoked in her body, so much so that she didn't even notice that her own hands did some exploring of their own. But Georg sure felt her delicate fingers move over his torso, running through his chest hair. Once in a while, they would slide over his nipples or other sensitive spots. This made it very difficult for him to stay still for much longer; he wasn't sure just how he would continue without frightening her.

"Hmm, that feels wonderful," Georg mumbled against her hair, after her fingers had found their way to the short hair behind his ears. At the sound of his voice, her fingers stopped in their tracks. She turned her head and looked up into his eyes. They were filled with love and burning passion, making them the darkest shade of blue that she had ever seen them in. This made her own body react by pure instinct; her skin tingled in a new burning sensation that made her even more aware of how close their nearly-naked bodies were to each other.

Maria raised herself up slightly, and kissed him with so much newfound passion that it took her breath away. She wove her fingers deeper into his hair, pulling him closer to her eager mouth. Her searching tongue slid into his mouth. Georg held her slim body close to his, reveling in the way his new wife seemed to adapt to the intimacy between them. His hands slid up and down her bare back, her skin hot under his touch.

After a few more minutes of passion-filled kissing, they broke apart, both being short of breath, and looked into each other's eyes. Maria felt her cheeks redden when she noticed how her husband's smoldering eyes seemed to penetrate her body and soul. The old nervousness still lay lurking under her newfound passion. While she still timidly chewed on her lower lip, she gave him a radiating smile that was filled with love, and something that resembled a bit of playfulness. Georg gave her an encouraging smile, trying to tell her that whatever she did, it would be all right.

Maria let her hand glide out of his hair, and found its way to his chest, where her fingers slid through his chest hair. She let her body slide down a bit, and her mouth sought out first his shoulders then his chest. The kisses were small and, in Georg's opinion, way too arousing for him to be able to just let her do whatever wonderful things she did to his body at this time.

When he suddenly felt her exploring fingers move downwards, skimming over his toned stomach ending at the waistband of his underwear, he felt his last resolve collapse. With a deep growl, he rolled their bodies over so Maria now lay on her back and him on his side. His hand was purposefully caressing the side of her breast, inching closer and closer to her sensitive nipples. Just how sensitive they were she had yet to find out.

Maria felt her breath hitch at his sudden movement, but when she saw his dark and burning blue eyes, something deep inside of her felt content, proud even, that she, an inexperienced ex-nun-to-be, could evoke such wonderful sounds from her husband. Desperately trying to suppress her growing blush, she reached her hand up and touched his face.

Georg saw the flow of emotions in her eyes, and gently gave her a reassuring kiss. His hand was still caressing the side of her breast, and sliding gently up to her arm. When his warm fingers found a certain spot just under her arm, she couldn't help giggling. It seemed she was rather ticklish there.

When Georg heard her small laugh, he gave her a mischievous smile and proclaimed: "It appears as if my beloved Baroness is somewhat ticklish…hmm…I must remember that in the future." He chuckled and let his fingers move over the spot once more. When he heard her laugh even harder, he couldn't help laughing himself.

"Oh, Georg…please…please stop…I…I can't…please," Maria spluttered through her laugher, trying to squirm away from his assaulting fingers.

"Hmm…" Georg mumbled against her still-laughing mouth. "Why should I stop, when I love hearing your laugh? It makes me want to be near to you, only you, alone in a bed, loving you with all my heart." He kissed her fully on her lips, silencing her laughter, and he let his hand move away from her obvious ticklish spot. When he did this, Maria placed a hand on his face, breaking the kiss. Her body felt flushed by hearing his words. She felt his hand move down the side of her breast.

"Well, who am I to argue with…oh, my…" Her sentence was cut short when she suddenly felt his warm fingers slide over her breast, circling her nipple. Her whole body blazed on fire when his fingers continued to tease her nipple. His other hand now did the same with her other breast, and now both nipples became erect, making them even more sensitive. Unable to control herself, she made a purring sound and pressed her chest further into his hands. Her own hands reached for his arms, trying to find some sort of support for her raging feelings.

Maria's small purring sounds edged Georg on. Letting his hands slide down her abdomen, he felt her muscles contract under his fingers. When his fingers reached the edge of her underwear, he felt her body tense slightly, as if she knew where his hands wanted to go. He looked up into her eyes, trying to read how she felt about moving on. What he saw was only, adoration, and a tiny bit of hesitation, but only seconds later, she nodded her head in consent.

Maria was biting her lower lip while she watched her husband look down to his task at hand. Ever so gently, she felt him remove her underwear and carelessly toss them away. Suddenly, she felt very bare and vulnerable, and didn't know what to do. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to will her emotions to be calm.

When she felt his warm hands slide over her hipbone, she felt as if her whole body would explode in a firework of emotions. She had no idea what to expect, and the emotions running through her body at this time was far beyond her wildest imagination.

Georg looked up, sensing that his wife was a bit shaken with this new turn of events. When he saw her still-closed eyes he swallowed hard, not entirely sure if she was ready for him to do more right now. He had made a promise to her that he would never rush her into anything they would do together on this night. So he took a deep breath, trying to calm his own desire to move on.

Maria felt him shift on the bed. He moved up her body and pulled her into his warm embrace, letting his hands move gently over her back. She turned in his arms, holding on to him once more, finding peace and reassurance in his strong arms.

"Maria, are you all right?" Georg mused, placing a small kiss on her temple. He felt her shudder in his arms, but a few seconds later, her head nodded in consent, her mind not knowing what to say at the moment.

Georg looked down on her face. Her eyes were now open, but she was still biting her lower lip, as if she was still somewhat nervous. When she felt his eyes on her, she looked up and saw his gentle blue eyes looking at her with concern written in them. She knew beyond any doubt that he wouldn't hurt her in any way, or rush her into things. But she still saw his desire in those dark blue orbs of his, and the fire in her stomach started to build once more. It was as if her confidence only grew stronger the more she looked into his eyes.

With slightly shaking hands, she reached up and caressed his face, tracing a finger over his lips and up his chin. Then she let her hand rest just below his ear, gently stroking his skin. She felt his pulse quicken at her touch, and her confidence grew an extra notch by the fact that he seemed fairly pleased by her actions.

"Hmm…I'm more than all right, darling," she said softly. "I…I love you and I trust you." She didn't know what words could express just how she felt at that moment, but she did know that she loved him, and trusted him. So that is what she told him.

In her small statement, he could read that she truly was all right, and when she nodded her head once more to his searching eyes, he felt his body relax and gave her a small kiss.

Grinning down at her, he rose and removed his own underwear. Georg noticed that she shyly looked away when he stood up. He knew that she would still be shy about various intimate things for some time to come, but he also knew that he would make sure that she would feel loved and accepted in every step they took together as husband and wife.

Maria looked back up when she felt him move into the bed once more, and her body instantly moved closer to his. They both moved in for yet another passionate kiss that made both of their heads spin with emotions and anticipation of what still laid ahead of them. When Maria shifted her lower body slightly closer to his, she suddenly felt his very prominent arousal resting against her thigh. This made her tense up shortly, but when Georg only continued to place tender kisses on her jaw line and neck, she let her body relax and enjoy the wonderful feelings his kisses evoked.

By now, Maria had moved her hands up into his hair, gently running her finger through his thick, dark locks, thus urging him on in his mission to place small, tender kisses further down her neck. He moved his mouth down to the swell of her breasts. His hands slid over her breasts and nipples, and this did some amazing things to her state of mind. Her whole body tingled with expectation and wonder of these sensations that coursed through her.

When his mouth closed around one of her now very sensitive nipples, Maria gasped in surprise and wonder. How was it possible to feel so many incredible things all at the same time? Her fingers curled around in his hair, holding him closer to her body, needing to feel more of him. She just didn't know how to express all of this to him.

Georg pulled away slightly and looked up at his wife. He smiled to himself when he saw her with closed eyes, her mouth slightly open. When he had looked at her for a few seconds, it seemed as if she awoke from her dazed state of mind and opened her eyes, trying to find out why his mouth had left her body. What she saw made her pulse race even faster if that were possible. His eyes burned with so much love and passion that she felt her heart beat at a rate that should be much too fast. She swallowed hard, trying to get her bearings, but she never succeeded. After giving her his mind-melting half-smile – and a wink – he lowered his head to her breast once more.

Maria's grip in his hair tightened, and she heard herself moan out a sound that had never crossed her lips before. In Georg's mind, it was the most amazing and arousing sound he had ever heard, and he knew that she had finally let go of her last insecurity about their intimate relationship. This made him smile against her skin, while he let his hands skim down her abdomen to do some further exploring.

When Maria felt his searching hand reach the edge of her womanhood, she tensed up for a few seconds. But when she heard him whisper, "I love you," against her skin, she let her body relax. His fingers inched closer to her most intimate place, and when they reached their destination, her whole body exploded with new and burning sensations. She didn't know that she could have such wonderful feelings while being with her husband. The books she had read had by no means been all too specific about these things, only the pain that was to come when their bodies would join together. But all of that was forgotten in an instant when his fingers continued to do some mind-melting things to her body. Maria felt something new build in her stomach, a desire and longing that she hadn't felt before and didn't know how to fulfill.

"Oh…I…Georg, I…I need…please…" she moaned, almost incoherently.

When her plea reached his ears, Georg instantly knew what she asked for, even though she might not know how to express this to him in words. But if he read her body language correctly, she was more than ready now to fully consummate their marriage.

Georg slid back up her body, his face now level above hers. "I love you. I know that you know about the pain, but still, I'm sorry for the fact that I can't avoid this." His voice was trembling and uneven, something that puzzled Maria slightly. But when she also saw the love and compassion in his eyes, she gave him a reassuring smile.

"I do know about the pain, but I don't mind. I just want to…well…you know…I just…" Maria stuttered, not sure about the right words to express just what she really wanted, especially since she had never experienced it before. She lowered her eyes shyly, but her body reacted on its own. Her hands reached for his face, pulling him down for a kiss.

Georg kissed her deeply, trying to convey all of his emotions to her. He felt her body relax under him and knew that she was ready. He moved over her and positioned himself between her legs, his arms supporting his weight. Then he leaned down, kissing her more deeply, trying to distract her mind from the oncoming pain that was sure to happen.

With as much care and gentleness as he could muster, Georg let himself glide into her warmth. When he felt the barrier inside her, he paused.

Maria had her eyes closed, only focusing on the feeling of him being inside of her. She felt as if she was floating on air, and the whole world around her had disappeared. When he paused, she knew that he was about to break her maidenhead. Their kiss broke, and she looked up into his eyes, seeing the question in them. She only nodded her head in consent, but still bit nervously on her lower lip.

Georg leaned down and caught her lips in a deep kiss that was sure to make her mind go blank and not worry about any pain. Only then did he move his body fully into her warmth. He flinched slightly when he felt her whole body tense up in pain, and the moaning sound that escaped her lips made his heart break. And even though his entire body screamed for him to move, he didn't, giving her time to adjust to the feeling of him being fully inside her.

Maria felt the pain and hated herself for crying out so loudly, because she was sure the reason for him laying motionless right now was due to the fact that he felt bad about causing her any pain at all. Her body reacted by instinct when the pain passed, and she felt a sudden urge to move, to get even closer to him. She shifted her lower body, trying to tell him that she was all right, and when he looked down at her, she smiled and nodded.

Then, he started to move, and the raw emotions of passion began to flow through her every nerve endings, making her whole body warm with love and passion that she didn't even know she had. Her hands moved by instinct as well, holding his arms and shoulders tightly, her lower body urging him in moving them both to the peak that lay ahead of them.

When Georg felt her body move under him, he knew that she was ready to move on. Only then did he let his very last resolve disappear, and moved in unison with her body, bringing them both closer and closer to the completion of their lovemaking. They both felt hot waves of passion building higher and higher within them, and when they finally broke, they marveled in the sensation that ran through their bodies. Both cried out when they reached the highest peak, sending them in a whirlwind of emotions. They held each other tightly through it until it was over, much too soon.

Georg leaned down and kissed her mouth. The kiss was gentle and made both feel content and peaceful. Maria felt her whole body prickle with a new sensation of completion, while Georg kept kissing her mouth and jaw line. She was still trying to get control of her breathing, which was still ragged, and his kisses did nothing to calm her rapidly beating heart.

Georg stilled his kisses and rolled them both to lay on their sides, his hand caressing her back and shoulders. Maria smiled and looked at her husband, her husband now in every aspect of the word. This made her heart and mind bubble with a sweet sense of joy and contentment. Her smile grew wider every second she kept looking at her husband, and he gave her an equally wide grin that lit up his eyes with a sparkle that told volumes about what he felt in this moment.

"Hmmm…do you have any idea how much I love you?" Georg whispered, while he planted tiny kisses on her forehead. "You complete me in everything you do. I love you, darling."

Maria found it rather difficult to say anything that would sound remotely coherent. Her mind was swarming with thoughts and emotions about what they had just shared. The books she had read about the joining of man and wife had not written _anything_ about the pleasure and contentment she felt just now, laying nuzzled in her husband's warm embrace. While her mind kept going through some of the aspects the books had described, her mind seemed to want to talk on its own.

"You know, the books are so wrong in so many aspects of…well, of this…of what you and I…what we just…oh, Georg, don't laugh, it's just that they never wrote _anything_ about what I feel right now, and when…when you…when you were inside of me…" Maria tried to make her words sound understandable through her flaming face, and it didn't help that Georg gave her that half-smile of his that would always make her mind go blank and her heart beat much too fast.

"Oho, you've read books, have you?" Georg teased lovingly, and caressed her face with his hand, letting it rest against her neck as his thumb stroked her chin. "Tell me, my love, what do you feel right now?" He leaned over her and gave her a small kiss, and when he pulled back he smiled and winked at her. He was rather interested in what these books had been telling his wife about what they had just shared.

"Well…eehh…I…oh, Georg, I really don't know what to say. All I know is that I feel all of these amazing things inside of me, things that I didn't know existed, and I keep wondering if this is the right way to feel," Maria breathed out, and ended with one question that kept plaguing her spinning mind: "Do you suppose I would keep feeling all of these wonderful sensations _every_time we're together…you know, like this, making love?"

"Darling Maria, I do hope that will be the case. I'll do my very best to make sure that you'll experience all of this again, and even more wonderful and exquisite things. You'll see that every time we're together, alone in bed, making love, you'll learn something new about both me and yourself."

While he spoke, he let his hand slide down to her shoulder, then further down to the top of her breast. He could almost see the emotions running through her eyes, as if she tried to digest what his words meant. The surprise and wonder was evident in her large, blue eyes, eyes that were almost shimmering with hints of tears.

"Thank you…" Her voice hitched in her throat. Somehow, she could not believe that this was what could happen when being so close to her husband. But if that was true, she was sure looking forward to their next alone time in bed…wherever that would be.

He still hadn't told her where they would be going for their honeymoon tomorrow. This thought made her blush slightly, and her mind once again spoke before she could really help it. "When do you suppose we'll do this again? I…well…I…you still haven't told me where we're going on our honeymoon." She tried to hide the eagerness in wanting to be with him again, by asking the last question.

Georg did hear both questions, and chuckled. "Being a little impatient, are we, my darling? Well, all I can say is that by tomorrow night, we won't be sleeping here in our own bed. I would say that we would be making great progress of moving closer and closer to a place called 'the city of love'."

It took Maria only two seconds to realize exactly what city he was referring to. "Paris…we're going to Paris? Oh, Georg, that is so wonderful! I have always wanted to go there, and being there on our honeymoon, that is so wonderful…I love you!" She threw her arms around him, kissing him deeply, letting him know just how much she looked forward to spending their honeymoon in Paris.

"Mmm…I'm glad you like my plan, darling…but I don't suppose we'll get to see that much of the city…" Georg mused against her lips, smiling a devious smile that she didn't quite understand.

"Oh, why not? I've always wanted to see Paris…I mean, if we're going there, we must be able to see some of the city, won't we?" Her voice was puzzled and quite a bit disappointed. She failed to see the mischievous glint in his eyes while she spoke.

"We might, although I also have this plan of keeping us locked up in our hotel room, showing how much I love you in both mind and body." His voice was a low timber; his breath caressed her skin, making her whole body tingle.

_Now_she understood. "Oh…umm…I…oh, my…I…" As her words failed her, she felt her face heat up at the images that came into her mind, images of them making love in a huge hotel bed. She didn't really know what she could say to a statement like this – not that she would mind being in a bed with her husband. By all means, she had just experienced how wonderful it could be, and if she had to be honest, she was secretly looking forward to the next time they would make love. Her blush intensified at this, and she lowered her eyes once more.

"Don't look down, darling," said Georg, gently putting one finger under her chin, urging her to look into his eyes. "I didn't mean it like that. I was only trying to tell you that I'm looking forward to spending the rest of our lives getting to know each other, in both mind and body."

When she looked at him, he gave her an encouraging smile that he hoped would put her at ease. He moved closer and kissed her ever so gently. When the kiss ended, he whispered, "I do hope you also look forward to getting to know me better, including when we make love."

"I do!" she blurted out before she could really think; then, trying to cover up her forwardness, she asked him, "You do?"

This reply only showed him that she was still learning to feel at ease speaking about the intimate aspect of marriage. Georg smiled at her, and then leaned in to whisper in her ear, "Darling, if you only knew how much I'm looking forward to the next time."

His breath, tickling her hair, did some amazing things to her body. The heat in the pit of her stomach seemed to flair up into a huge fireball. As the fire built up, her courage also got bigger by the minute. She reached her hand up to his cheek, and let her fingers gently touch the skin behind his ear. This was one place she knew he liked to be touched – the first 'hot spot' he'd ever told her about. Now, she only needed to find out if he had any other 'hot spots' she could use to tell him how much she loved him.

When he felt her delicate fingers touching his sensitive spot behind his ear, he saw some newfound courage within her eyes. He knew by this that she had taken yet another step in showing him how much she too wanted to be with him.

"Why don't you show me, then?" she asked, in what she hoped would be a somewhat seductive voice. Oh, she really hoped that one day she would be able to be more forward when they were alone. She still felt the old insecurity lurking somewhere within her, but she tried not to focus on that right now. Now, she only wanted to be with her husband, and show how much he meant to her.

Georg both felt and saw the passion building up within her, those beautiful eyes filled with love and want, drawing him closer to her. They both moved in for the next kiss, a kiss that was filled with passion and love. The kiss intensified and their bodies moved closer together, as if they spoke a wordless language of their own. A deep need to be closer to the other grew between them.

"Mmm…I think I might do just that," he mused, while his lips trailed down her jaw line, finding her pulse point at her neck. Maria felt her whole body ignite with passion and, as she felt him roll them over so he was on top, she smiled to herself, ever so pleased that she, in some way, had made the first initiative to make love once more. She knew that she still had a lot to learn, but this night was far from over, and she had no doubt that this time would be even more amazing than the first.

When their bodies joined for the second time that night, they both felt the waves of love and passion roll over them with so much force that it took some time for them to speak or even move. They lay side by side, reveling in the feelings running through them both. Maria had her head resting just under his head. She could feel his fast and strong heartbeat; it matched her own beating heart in speed.

Finally, they pulled apart, looking at each other. Their eyes were filled with love and a deep contentment of what had happened this day and night. This would forever be a night that neither of them would ever forget. Maria felt her whole body bubble with joy and newfound confidence, a confidence that she knew would only bring her even closer to her husband.

"I love you…" They both said the three words that were filling both of their minds, and when they realized they had been thinking about the same thing, they laughed wholeheartedly. Still grinning widely, they moved in for a kiss, a kiss that spoke much more than words could.

When they parted, Georg pulled the covers over them and slid his arm around her waist, pulling her close. For awhile, they just laid there looking at each other, in total conciliation of what they had shared this night. Maria felt herself relax against his warm body, her eyes becoming more and more drowsy.

Georg noticed, and whispered, "Hmm, someone is tired. We should get some sleep; tomorrow we will be busy. First, we will have a late brunch with the children, and then catch the train to Paris."

He leaned in for a kiss, but before he reached her lips, she breathed, "Oh, I can't wait to be in Paris…" She closed the small gap between them and kissed him deeply. The way she kissed him told him in more than one way that she was _really_looking forward to the time they would spend together in Paris.

"Oho, and someone is quite the eager one, are we not?" Georg teased with his lips still close to her mouth. When he heard her gasp in shock over her own slip-up, he didn't allow her to respond or back-track right away. His lips kissed her, sliding his tongue inside her still slightly shocked mouth. It took her a few seconds before she responded to the kiss; she was still a bit embarrassed with herself about what she had let slip. But when she felt his hand cupping her face, holding her gently closer to his warm and eager mouth, she yielded into the kiss with as much fervor as he did. Her head started to spin and she felt the smoldering fire inside her stomach starting to rise once again.

When they broke the kiss for air, Maria was suddenly very much aware of how red her face must look right now. She smiled shyly, willing herself to keep looking at her husband. Georg was rather amused seeing his wife trying to cover up for her forwardness. He knew she still needed some time before she felt completely at ease with him.

"I…I'm sorry…"

"Shh…don't…" Georg put a finger over her lips, silencing her attempt to speak. "Don't apologize for being you, for loving me the way you do. You should never be sorry for wanting to be with me, in any way or at any time." He winked at her, and gave her yet another breath-taking kiss.

When that ended, Georg rested his head down on the pillow and proclaimed, "Well, darling, as much as I would love to just keep kissing you through the night, it might be best if we _did_ get some sort of sleep before dawn breaks." He smiled at her, and gently caressed the side of her face. His hand moved down to her waist, holding her close.

"Hmm…that might be best," Maria whispered while she leaned over to give him a kiss. But before she reached his warm and inviting lips, she said in a low and slightly seductive tone, "I'm still looking forward to being in Paris, alone with you."

Their breaths mingled, and Georg suddenly realized that he had been holding his breath while she spoke, and when the meaning of her words registered in his mind, his eyes widened in surprise. A split second later, he came back to his senses, and his smile broadened into a huge grin. His eyes twinkled, and Maria knew that she must have said something right. Only then did she close the small gap between their lips, and let her kiss do the talking. The kiss was short, sweet, and filled with promises of a life filled with love and passion that would forever grow between them.

When they parted, they both got themselves more comfortable in the bed. They lay with their heads close together, and the last thing they both heard and said before falling asleep was this:

"_I love you."_

THE END

**Don't forget to REVIEW... All positive and negative is welcome, I really would LOVE to hear everything you think about my story... it has been awhile since I wrote any fan fic, so I sort of feel like this is the start of some more stories from my hand... I do have some planned, but not in the SoM universe (I'm sorry :( )... time will tell if there will come more from me... so thanks for taking your time to both read and review my story :D**


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